Electric lantern



Nov. 1, 1949 E. A. WOLFENDEN ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed Feb. 8, 1946 FIG].

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 4.

/ J .l i

FIG 5.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 1, 1949 A. WOLFENDEN- 2,486,725

ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed Feb; 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 FIG .3.

2 ,1 65 61 65 63 71 L 57 II l 69 Z 27/ 59 55 11%21 57 75 27 EDWARD ARCHER WOLFENDE N INVENTOR A TTORNE Y Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LANTERN Edward Archer Wolfenden, Roanoke, Va., assignor to Star Head-Light & Lantern 00., Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 8, 1946, Serial No. 646,373

Claims.

This invention relates to electric lanterns, and more particularly, although not exclusively, to electric hand lanterns of the type used by railroad trainmen, often called railroad lanterns.

An object of the invention is the provision of a. generally improved and more satisfactory railroad lantern.

Another object is the provision of an electric lantern having an improved switch. More particularly, it is an object to provide switch mechanism protected from all possibility of corrosion by liquid leaking from a faulty battery, and having the highest degree of reliablity in operation, since such reliability is of the utmost importance in certain classes of service, especially in railroad service.

A further object is the provision, in an electric lantern, of switch mechanism for selectively lighting any one of a plurality of electric bulbs, the switch mechanism being constructed of strong and sturdy parts providing a wiping contact of one part against another, so that dirt is automatically wiped away by the contacting movement of the switch parts, to provide a reliably functioning switch. These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a lantern constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the lines 22 of Figs. 1 and 3, with certain parts omitted for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a. vertical section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section with parts in elevation, the section being taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig, 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation, with parts in vertical section, illustrating one of the strip members for connecting the upper or battery casing part to the lower or switch casing part of the lantern; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, there is shown a lantern having, as is usual in electric railroad lanterns, a casing including an upper cylindrical portion H for holding an electric batter (not shown) and a lower cylindrical portion l3 containing the lamp sockets and, in the present instance, also the switch mechanism. The upper edge of the portion |3 has a snug telescoping fit over the lower part of the casing portion H and a rubber gasket l5 encircles the portion II and is held against upward motion thereon by a bead l1, so as to contact with the upper edge of the casing portion l3 and assist in preventing entrance of moisture and dirt.

The upper end of the casing portion H is open except when closed by a removable cap l9 telescoping over the upper edge, the battery being placed in or removed from the casing by taking off the cap I9. A bail handle 2| is pivoted to the casing portion II by trunnions 23.

At the lower end of the casing portion II, and preferably formed integrally with the cylindrical side walls thereof, is a bottom wall 25 which forms a tight bottom for the battery compartment and separates it from the compartment or space within the casing portion l3. This Wall 25 preferably carries a pair of stirrup members 21 (Fig. 5) permanently secured to the under side of the wall 25 as by means of rivets 29. The stirrup members extend downwardly and then laterally as shown in Fig. 5, and are removably secured by screws 3| to a wall or bottom member 33 formed preferably integrally with the cylindrical side walls of the lower casing portion I3. When these screws 3| are removed, the casing portion l3 can be pulled ofi the end of the casing portion H, but when the screws 3| are in place, the portions |3 and l are held rigidlyjoined to each other.

In this bottom wall 33 are mounted a plurality, of electric lamp sockets, usually two in number, one socket being indicated at 4| and bein mounted in a flat part of the bottom wall 33 and insulated therefrom by an insulating bushing 43 and disk 45. This socket contains an electric bulb ll. The other bulb socket 5| is mounted in a dished portion 49 of the bottom wall 33 (which dished portion forms a reflector for increasing the power of the light beam, as is desirable under certain conditions, in a lantern for railroad use) and the socket is insulated from the reflector in which it is mounted by an insulating bushing 53 and in sulating disk 55. This second socket carries an electric bulb 57.

The conventional central contact of the electric battery (not shown) rests upon and in contact with a metal disk 6| which overlies a fiber insulating disk 63, set in a depressed portion or recess formed in the wall 25. This metal plate 5! is electrically connected by metal rivets 6-5 to a metal strip 6! mounted below the Wall 25 and insulated therefrom by a fiber disk 69. Plastic sealing and insulating material H surrounding the rivets Where they pass through the wall 25, and also underlying the fiber disk 63, serves to seal the wall 25 hermetically and in liquid tight manner so that no liquid which may escape from the battery in the upper compartment can reach the lower compartment where the electric sockets and switch mechanism are located.

One end of the above-mentioned metal strip 6'! is bent downwardly at I5 and then extends laterally at TI and is provided with a depending stud I (surrounded by a fiber insulating disk 8 I) which makes contact with the central contact of the electric bulb 41 in the socket 4|. The other end of the strip 67 is slightly offset downwardly as at 85 and carries a loose stud 01 pressed downwardly by an encircling coiled spring 89 to make contact with the central contact of the other electric bulb 51 mounted in the socket The spring 03 insures constantly a good contact with the bulb in spite of any looseness of the bulb in its socket, or variations in positions of the bulb due to the lower casing portion I3 being telescoped to a slightly greater extent or slightly lesser extent onto the upper casing portion II. No such spring stud is necessary at the point E9, however, because the arms 75 and T1 are sufiiciently long to have a resilient action, and are initially made in such shape that the stud T9 is somewhat below the position shown in Fig. 3, the arm I? being resiliently deflected upwardly when the ulb 4'! is screwed home, thus insuring a good contact at all times with this bulb.

Heretofore it has been customary in electric railroad lanterns of this general type to place the manually operable switch member on the side wall of the upper casing portion II. This manually operable switch member has then been connected to an operating member extending downwardly inside the casing portion II through a hole in the bottom wall 25 in this casing portion, and into the lower compartment where the switch contacts have been located. This construction has the great disadvantage, however, that when liquid begins to leak from the battery, the liquid goes through the hole in the bottom 25 and into the lower compartment, and corrodes the various parts, including the electrical contacts, so that the lantern is no longer reliable in operation. It has been suggested to place the manually operable switch member in. the side wall I3 of the lower compartment, instead of the side wall of the battery compartment, but all of the prior constructions having the manually operable switch member in this lower position have been unsatisfactory for one reason or another. The construction according to the present invention overcomes the prior difiiculties and results in an extremely sturdy and reliable construction. The manually operable switch member is placed on the side wall I3 of the lower compartment, thus avoiding the necessity for any hole through the wall or partition 25, and thus sealing the upper battery compartment in liquid tight relation to the lower bulb compartment, so that no liquid escaping from the battery can reach the electrical connections in the bulb compartment.

According to the present invention, the improved construction which is found to be reliable and efficient comprises an electric contact member having a disk-like end IOI overlying the fiber disk 45 and in electrical contact with the shell of the socket M, the upper end of which is crimped over the metal member I0 I, as shown in Fig. 3. From this annular portion, a metal arm extends laterally and upwardly at I03. This arm is in the form of a strip having sufi'icient width in its own plane to be relatively rigid in the direction of its own plane, but being slightly resilient in a direction perpendicular to its plane. The strip terminates in an end I05 which is 4 curled upwardly along one edge as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Associated with the other bulb socket is a similar arrangement, namely, an annular metal portion III overlying the insulating disk or washer 55 and in electrical contact with the shell of the lamp socket til, the upper end of which is crimped over the member III. From this member I II there extends laterally and upwardly an arm II3, which, like the arm I03, is formed of a strip of metal rigid in its own plane but having a reasonable degree of resilience in a direction perpendicular to its plane. The end of the arm H3 is curled upwardly at one side as at II5, Fig. 4. The ends of the two arms I03 and H3 lie near each other and at the same elevation, as indicated in Fig. 4.

For selective contact with either one of these arms I03 and I I3, there is provided a switch contact member I2I (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) in the form of a lip extending approximately horizontally but having its lateral edges dished or bent downwardly as seen in Fig. 3. This member I2I carries a downwardly extending flange I23 having a long fiat bottom riding on the bottom wall 33 of the lower compartment and thus held against turning. Passing through the flange I23 and fixed to it is a screw stud I25 which extends radially outwardly through a horizontal slot I2! in the side wall I3, and is threaded into a finger piece I29 projecting on the outside of the wall I3. This finger piece I29 carries an arcuate plate or flange I3I which fits the outer surface of the wall I3 and which is of sufficient size to cover and close the slot I2! in all positions of the finger piece. The wall I3 is pressed or embossed inwardly in the vicinity of the slot, as indicated in Fig. 6, to form a depressed panel I33 in which the arcuate plate I3I slides back and forth in a circumferential direction. A little beyond each end of the panel I33 is an inwardly embossed or pressed portion I35 in the form of a short vertical line as seen in Fig. 1.

Also mounted on the screw stud I25 is a small rectangular plate I4I having a hole at its center through which the screw I25 loosely extends, and having at each end an embossed curved projection I43 faced outwardly. A leaf spring I45 also of generally rectangular shape is bowed or bent inwardly at its center, as seen in Fig. 2, and has a hole at its center through which the screw stud I25 extends. The ends of the leaf spring I45 bear against the member I4I (which may be designated as a detent member or latch member) and tend at all times to press this detent member radially outwardly into contact with the wall I3 on which these switch parts are mounted.

When the switch is in its off position, the parts are as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The member I2I lies about midway between the ends of the arms I03 and H3, out of contact with both of them, and the projections I43 on the detent or latch member are seated in the depressions formed on the inner surface of the side wall I3, between the ends of the panel I33 and the embossed lines I35. If it is desired to light the electric bulb 47 in the socket 4|, the finger piece I29 is pushed to the left when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2, with sufiicient force to flex the spring I45 so that the bumps I43 at both ends of the detent member I4I will ride leftwardly over the adjacent projections on the inner face of the wall I3. The left hand bump I43 of the detent rides over the left hand bump I35 of the casing wall,

and comes to rest just to the left of this bump I35. Simultaneously, the right hand bump I43 of the detent rides up onto the inner surface of the panel I33 and rides smoothly therealong until it comes to rest. Simultaneously with these movements, the lip I2I rides underneath the end of the arm I03, and the curvature of the top of the lip I2l, cooperating with the upcurled edge I05, slightly flexes the arm I03 upwardly. The lip I2I thus rides across the bottom surface of the arm I03 while these two members are pressed together in contact with each other by the resilience of the arm I03, and thus a good wiping contact between the parts is obtained, which wipes any dust or dirt out from between the contacts and insures reliable operation.

As soon as the member I2I comes into contact with the arm I03, the electric bulb 41 lights up. Current flows to the central contact of the light bulb from the central contact of the battery, flowing through the metal plate 6|, the rivets 55, the strip 61, I5, 11, to the stud 19 which is in contact with the central contact of the light bulb. The other terminal of the battery is, as usual, grounded on the metallic casing of the lantern, and current flows from this battery terminal through the metallic casing to the latch member I4I, spring I45, and stud I25, thus reaching the arm l2l (or it may flow directly from the casing wall 33 to the member I23 and thus to the member I2I) and from this member I2I the current reaches the arm- I03 and thereby reaches the socket shell 4| and the outer terminal of the light bulb 41.

If it is desired to light the other bulb 51, the finger piece I29 of the switch is moved to the right when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2 instead of to the left. An action similar to that previously described occurs. The left hand bump I43 on the detent member rides up onto the inner surface of the embossed panel I33, while the right hand bump I43 rides over the right hand bump I35 of the casing and seats itself beyond this bump. At the same time the member I2I slides beneath the end of the arm II3, slightly raises this arm and makes good wiping contact therewith, and completes the circuit so that current flows through the arm I I3 to the other bulb 51.

It is noted that, in order to prevent the lantern from being turned on accidentally and thus wasting current, the mechanism is so constructed that greater force is required to turn it on than to turn it off. When the lantern is oil and it is to be turned on, enough force is required to cause both of the bumps I43 on the detent member I ll to ride up over the adjacent bumps on the inside of the casing wall I3. When the lantern is lit, however, regardless of which bulb is lit, a lesser force is required to turn it ofi, because when turning it off only one of the bumps I43 on the detent has to ride up over a bump on the casing, and the other one of the bumps I43 on the detent simply rides smoothly along the inner surface of the embossed panel I33.

The screw I25 is preferably soldered or brazed to the member I2I, I23, so that the screw cannot turn, since the member I23 is prevented from turning by reason of the proximity of the wall 33. The finger piece I29 is prevented from accidentally turning and coming loose from the screw I25, by reason of the plate I3I being seated in the embossed or depressed panel I33, which thus prevents the plate I3I from turning and this prevents the finger piece I29 also from turning, since the finger piece is either integral with or brazed or soldered to the plate I3I. When the parts are to be assembled or disassembled, pressure is applied to the member I2I, I23 in a radially outwardly direction, to flex the spring I45 to -a sufficient extent so that the plate I3I is moved radially outwardly away from the outer surface of the panel I33, far enough to clear the edges of this depressed panel, whereupon the finger piece I29 and plate I3I can be turned to unscrew from the screw I25. The detent member MI is floatingly mounted on the screw I25 and not fixed thereto, so the screw may move axially through the member I4I during assembly or disassembly of the parts. By mounting this member I4I floatingly on the screw stud, all spring action of this member is avoided, and the spring action is produced entirely by theleaf spring I45, so that the degree of spring tension and the consequent degree of resistance to turning the lantern on and ofi can be more accurately predetermined and controlled, than would be the case if the detent member I4I were also relied upon to produce some spring action of its own.

The lower casing portion I3 of the lantern may be provided with the usual skeleton guard to protect the light bulbs from being hit. Such guard, as is customary, comprises axially extending members I5I having their upper ends riveted to the side wall I3 as seen in Fig. l, and having their lower ends wrapped around a circular guard ring It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that a construction is provided which admirably fulfills the above-mentioned objects of the invention. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the construction may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric lantern comprising a casing having a battery chamber and a socket chamber separated from each other by a liquid-tight wall so that liquid seepage from a battery cannot enter said socket chamber, a plurality of bulb sockets mounted in a wall of said socket chamber in insulated relation thereto, a metal arm electrically connected to each socket and extending laterally therefrom toward a side wall of said socket chamber, each of said arms including a strip portion relatively stifi in its own plane and resilient in a direction perpendicular to its own plane both of said arms having switch-contacting portions laterally separated from each other and with the approximate planes of both switch-contacting portions approximately coinciding with each other, and a switch member slidably mounted on said side wall for movement back and forth approximately in the direction of said coinciding planes to a plurality of positions, said switch member including a part movable into wiping contact with one of said arms when said switch member is moved to one position and movable into wiping contact with another of said arms when said switch member is moved to another position, the movement of said member into contact with each of said arms being in a direction causin deflection of the arm in a direction perpendicular to its own plane and to the direction of travel of the switch member so that the resilience of the arm holds it in frictional contact with said part as said part moves. 7

2. An electric lantern including a casing having an arcuate wall and another wall at an angle thereto, two electric bulb sockets mounted in said other wall, a metallic arm electrically connected to and mounted on and supported from and projecting laterally in cantilever fashion from each bulb socket and terminating in generally flat switch-contacting end portions arranged approximately in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of said arcuate wall, and a member mounted for sliding movement on said arcuate wall in a direction circumferentially thereof, said member having a contact portion so placed as to move into contact with and to slide laterally over the surface of the end portion of either one of said arms when said member is moved selectively in a direction circumferentially of said arcuate wall toward either one of two positions, and to displace said end portion slightly in a direction approximately perpendicular to its plane.

3. An electric lantern including a casing having an arcuate wall and another wall at an angle thereto, two electric bulb sockets mounted in said other wall, a metallic arm electricallyconnected to and projecting laterally in cantilever fashion from each bulb socket, said arms terminating in free ends spaced laterally from each other and both at approximately the same elevation from said other wall, a switch member mounted for sliding movement along said arcuate wall in a circumferential direction, and a contact portion movable with said switch member in a plane substantially parallel to said other wall and adapted to contact with the free end of one of said arms and displace it slightly in a direction perpendicular to said other wall when said switch member is moved to one end of its path of travel and to contact with the free end of the other of said arms and similarly displace it when said switch member is moved to the other end of its path of travel.

4. An electric lantern including a casing having a wall provided with a slot therein and a plurality of projections in the vicinity of said slot, 2.. member extending through said slot in a direction transverse to said wall and mounted for lateral movement in a direction along said slot, a detent floatingly mounted on said member to move therewith when said member moves along said slot, said detent having portions near its ends engaging said wall and cooperating with said projections to tend to hold said member against movement along said slot, said detent intermediate its ends being impaled loosely on said member and being capable of moving axially of said member except as restrained by contact of the ends of said detent with other parts, a spring mounted on said member and pressing against said detent to hold said detent resiliently engaged with said wall, a contact portion moving with said member, an electric light bulb mounted on said casing, and a contact arm electrically connected to said bulb and positioned to be engaged by said contact portion when said member is moved to a predetermined position.

5. An electric lantern comprising a casing having an arcuate wall with a circumferential slot therethrough, a portion of said wall around said slot being depressed inwardly to form a sunken panel on the exterior of said wall, an arcuate flange mounted to slide back and forth in said panel and normally being held against turning by the raised edges of said sunken panel, an outwardly projecting finger piece fixed to said flange for manually moving said flange in one direction or the other along said panel, a stud connected to said flange and-extending approximately radially inwardly therefrom through said slot to the interior of said casing, a detent member mounted on said stud inside said casing and having a portion adapted to ride on the inner surface of said arcuate wall, a spring also mounted on said stud for urging said detent member in a direction toward said wall, the reaction of said spring serving to keep said arcuate flange seated in said sunken panel, said spring being capable of being flexed to allow said flange to be pulled far enough out of said panel so that said flange and said finger piece may be turned to unscrew them from said stud, a contact member connected to said stud within said casing, a plurality of electric bulbs, and a plurality of conducting members associated with said bulbs and positioned to be selectively engaged by said contact member when said flange and finger piece are moved to various positions along said slot.

6. A construction as described in claim 5, in which said detent member has free axial movement on said stud except as restrained by contact with said spring and with said wall.

7. A construction as described in claim 5, in which said detent member is movable axially along said stud and extends in two opposite directions from said stud in a generally circumferential direction, to contact with said inner surface of said wall on two opposite sides of said stud.

8. A construction as described in claim 5, in which said detent member is of generally rectangular shape having an opening near its center through which said stud extends and bearing near its two ends on said arcuate wall, and in which said spring is a leaf spring of bowed shape having an opening near its center through which said stud extends and having ends bearing on said detent member near the ends thereof.

9. A construction as described in claim 5, further including two inward projections on the inner surface of said arcuate wall beyond opposite ends of said panel, said detent member being formed to coact with said projections and with the ends of said panel to hold said flange, finger piece, and stud resiliently in a central position or in either one of two extreme positions to which they may be moved.

10. A construction as described in claim 5, in which said stud is screw threaded into said finger piece, and in which means is provided to prevent rotation of said stud, the seating of said flange in said sunken panel serving normally to prevent rotation of said flange and finger piece relative to said stud, the parts being capable of being disassembled by flexing said spring and moving said stud radially outwardly sufficiently far to shift said flange out of said sunken panel so that said flange and finger piece may be rotated on said stud.

EDWARD ARCHER WOLFENDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,893,294 Larson Jan. 3, 1933 1,959,638 Patche May 22, 1934 2,255,291 Larson Sept. 9, 1941 2,380,637 Drumm July 31, 1945 

